Commercial Space News

Associated Press • Marcia Dunn

Link satellite rescue mission for NASA’s Swift Observatory hits attitude control failures after reaction wheel and thruster prob

Katalyst Space Technologies’ Link spacecraft—launched nearly a month ago to reboost NASA’s Swift Observatory—has developed attitude control issues. Preliminary findings indicate two of three reaction wheels are not operable, and Link has also encountered thruster problems, leading to an uncontrolled spin that is disrupting communications.

4 Sources

2026-07-28T14:41:42.119420-07:00

NASA Spaceflight

SpaceX Starship Flight 13 shows Ship 40 reentry/water impact survivability as Booster Block 3 remains in refinement

1 Source

2026-07-28T10:41:59.241200-07:00

Via Satellite

Impulse Space unveils Electra: first electric propulsion system for long-duration missions

1 Source

2026-07-28T12:59:27.753101-07:00

Space.com

China signals an offshore satellite-launch push while SpaceX expands Starlink cadence after Starship test activity

3 Sources

2026-07-28T08:11:28.873571-07:00

Commercial Space Industry (New Space) News Timeline

Associated Press

4 sources

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Link satellite rescue mission for NASA’s Swift Observatory hits attitude control failures after reaction wheel and thruster prob Katalyst Space Technologies’ Link spacecraft—launched nearly a month ago to reboost NASA’s Swift Observatory—has developed attitude control issues. Preliminary findings indicate two of three reaction wheels are not operable, and Link has also encountered thruster problems, leading to an uncontrolled spin that is disrupting communications.

2026-07-28T14:41:42.119420-07:00

Link satellite rescue mission for NASA’s Swift Observatory hits attitude control failures after reaction wheel and thruster prob

Via Satellite

1 source

Impulse Space unveils Electra: first electric propulsion system for long-duration missions Impulse Space has detailed its first electric propulsion system, Electra, designed to support long-duration operations in space. The company positioned the system as a stepping stone for extended mission lifetimes, aligning propulsion capability with next-phase spacecraft operations.

2026-07-28T12:59:27.753101-07:00

Impulse Space unveils Electra: first electric propulsion system for long-duration missions

Space Intel Report

1 source

Viasat discloses $291.4M in satellite construction payments due by 2031 and $509.8M in future capacity lease commitments Viasat said in its 2026 annual report that, as of March 31, it had $291.4 million in satellite construction payments due over the next five years (through 2031). It also reported $509.8 million in future commitments to purchase satellite capacity from third-party fleet operators.

2026-07-28T11:17:18.680889-07:00

Viasat discloses $291.4M in satellite construction payments due by 2031 and $509.8M in future capacity lease commitments

NASA Spaceflight

1 source

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SpaceX Starship Flight 13 shows Ship 40 reentry/water impact survivability as Booster Block 3 remains in refinement Starship Flight 13 demonstrated that Ship 40 can complete its mission and return intact, surviving water impact without destruction. SpaceX said the booster is still a work in progress, as it continues refining the clean-sheet Block 3 design for subsequent flights.

2026-07-28T10:41:59.241200-07:00

SpaceX Starship Flight 13 shows Ship 40 reentry/water impact survivability as Booster Block 3 remains in refinement

Space.com

3 sources

China signals an offshore satellite-launch push while SpaceX expands Starlink cadence after Starship test activity China is pursuing sea-based satellite launches, aiming to narrow the US orbital gap and broaden commercial launch options, according to a July 28, 2026 roundup. The competitive push lands as SpaceX executed a Starship flight test and continues deploying Starlink via Falcon 9—most recently lifting 24 satellites from Vandenberg on July 25.

2026-07-28T08:11:28.873571-07:00

China signals an offshore satellite-launch push while SpaceX expands Starlink cadence after Starship test activity

Bloomberg

10 sources

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SpaceX shares slide as lock-up expiration nears, erasing $1T+ in market value SpaceX’s stock continued to fall after the company’s recent Starship test, with losses wiping more than $1 trillion in market value. Shares were down as investors braced for an Aug. 6 lock-up expiration that could release up to 911.5 million shares—exceeding the current public float—adding supply overhang concerns.

2026-07-28T06:57:04.971216-07:00

SpaceX shares slide as lock-up expiration nears, erasing $1T+ in market value

Payload

2 sources

Amazon files with the FCC to launch a direct-to-device LEO constellation of more than 5,000 satellites Amazon has filed a request with the Federal Communications Commission to operate a direct-to-device network in low Earth orbit, targeting a constellation sized at more than 5,000 satellites. The filing signals Amazon’s entry into the direct-to-device satellite communications race and escalates competitive pressure in LEO broadband.

2026-07-28T06:47:04.117930-07:00

Amazon files with the FCC to launch a direct-to-device LEO constellation of more than 5,000 satellites

Space.com

2 sources

China to fly Africa’s first lunar science probes aboard Chang’e 8 to target the lunar south pole in 2029 China plans to launch Africa’s first space exploration mission using a trio of spherical probes carried on the Chang’e 8 lander. The mission is scheduled for 2029 and aims to conduct lunar-south-pole science as part of Chang’e 8 operations.

2026-07-28T06:41:48.916561-07:00

China to fly Africa’s first lunar science probes aboard Chang’e 8 to target the lunar south pole in 2029

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